Alexa and Ann: Fighting Boundaries
by Alexis Theory
Summary: Pre-Bella: The Cullens family has just moved back to Forks after having been away long enough to have been forgotten. Now they have a new house and everything. Suddenly, though, a series of events leads them to encounter a very special race: werepyres.
1. Arrival

_**I do not own Twilight or anything associated with it. The idea for werepyres came from the game Battleon by Artix Entertainment. This is a joint fanfiction by me, Alexis Theory, and my friend Aly.**_

The car pulled up in the empty clearing in the middle of the rather large plot of land the Cullens had just bought in Forks, Washington. Before the car, a Mercedes had stopped completely, a petite young woman, who looked rather like and angel, jumped out of the car and quickly began observing the land. The driver's side opened and a gorgeous young man stepped out. As the woman sped towards the side of the lot where they had just entered, the man caught her and lifted her up into the air. Twirling her around, they noticed the second car was pulling into the lot.

The car completely stopped before four of their "children" leaped out. Carlisle, the young man, set down Esme, his wife, and she rushed to greet them. Faster than should have been possible, a small, fairy-like girl with short black hair darted out and hugged Esme. On her face, there was a huge grin.

"Alice," Esme said to the girl. "Where's Edward?"

Alice's arms dropped to her sides and she stood still for a moment. The she spoke up again, a grin once again crossing her impossibly perfect face. "He should be here right about… now."

Just then a silver Volvo pulled into the lot. Esme looked up and saw in the driver's seat her "son" Edward. Alice ran over to the side of Edward's car, and a tall boy with raven black hair followed. Esme smiled. Jasper, Alice's husband, was always so loyal to her. The two others stood by the Jeep they had drove in. They were a striking pair, a girl and a boy. Rosalie, the girl, had the figure of a supermodel and her flowing blond hair only accented her golden eyes. Emmett, the boy, was incredibly handsome, and was impossibly muscular. They too were married.

Esme walked over to the Mercedes and pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper. Carlisle came over and stood next to her as she unrolled the blueprints. Briefly looking over them for any problems, she called her "children" over. Before she finished speaking, they were there.

Esme, looking at the flawless teenagers, smiled and spoke again. This time, it was merely a few words: "Let's get started." Instantly, the five teens were gone from her sight. She stood up at a human's speed and turned. Already the house was beginning to go up. Emmett and Jasper were cutting down trees to use for wood and Edward and Alice were working on laying the foundation. Rosalie had begun to clear the ground of weeds and rocks, and soon, Esme knew, she would begin the job of landscaping. Smiling at her husband, she rushed to help Rosalie, knowing Carlisle would join Alice and Edward.

The house would be finished by the end of the week.

Edward lay in his new bedroom, looking up at the ceiling and watching a spider crawl across it. Though he had his favorite song, Clair de Lune by Debussy, on full blast, he knew the rest of his family couldn't hear it. His room had been built that way. It was soundproof, even to a family of vampires, such as his. Rolling over, he breathed in deeply – an unnecessary breath. Being dead, he did not need to breathe – and found himself looking into a pair of golden eyes that matched his own.

"Hello, Alice," he said, smiling. Alice was his favorite sibling. They were the only two in the family – besides Jasper – who had a special ability of sorts. And Alice was just plain lovable.

"Hello, Edward," she responded looking him in the eyes.

"You left the door open. And where is Jasper? Did he let you go?" He said jokingly.

Alice giggled. "Barely," she said. "I was beginning to worry that I would need an escape plan."

Jasper's voice came from down the hall, where his and Alice's room was. "I heard that," he said. Alice collapsed on the floor in a fit of laughter.

"So, really Alice, what's up?" he asked, helping her up off the floor.

"Well," she said, finally recovering from her laughing fit. "Since school starts tomorrow, I was wondering if you would like to do some back-to-school shopping with me." _Maybe we'll even stop by the music store._

Edward smiled at Alice's thought. As a vampire, his ability to guess what people were thinking had sharpened into his mind reading ability. He smiled at Alice. "Well, maybe," he said. "It would be nice to get some fresh air…"

Alice squealed with delight and threw her arms around his neck. When she let go, she spoke again with a huge smile on her face. "I just had a vision that we would find the cutest sweater for you." Edward groaned playfully. Alice had the ability to see the future, though it was a very complicated gift. The future would change depending on what decisions people – or vampires – made. But Edward still wouldn't bet against Alice.

As he was dragged downstairs by Alice, his other sister stopped and watched. "Where's Alice dragging you to this time?" Rosalie asked, a smile crossing her radiant face.

"Shopping," Edward replied. "Want to come with us?"

Rosalie's grin widened. "Thanks, but no thanks. Emmett and I are going hunting," she said just before Alice succeeded in pulling Edward out the front door.

_This could be a long day,_ Edward thought as he got in the passenger side of his silver Volvo.

Alice was thinking. She knew Edward was waiting for her to decide between the blue dress and the green one, but she just couldn't. Well, she could, but they were both so lovely, she didn't want to. Alice sighed. "Whatever," she said to the salesgirl, who was staring at Edward with a passionate longing. Edward was staring at his watch. "I'll take them both."

When the salesgirl realized what Alice had just said, she jumped out of the daydream that Alice guessed she had been having and stared at Alice in shock. "But, but…" she stuttered.

Alice looked at her with a fake confused look on her face. "Do you have a problem with that?" Alice said, hearing Edward chuckle under his breath.

"Uh… no, but are you sure you can afford both? It comes to over a thousand dollars," the girl said, looking at the two expensive dresses.

"Oh, yes, but do you mind if I pay in cash?" Alice said, causing Edward to turn around quickly and head out of the store as the girl's eyes went big. Alice took out of her purse the exact change. As Alice walked out of the store, the girl was still staring at the money in her hands, speechless.

Alice found Edward outside, keeled over laughing. "And what, Mr. Cullen," she said with a frown on her face, "do you find so hilarious?"

Edward smiled as he gave his sister a peck on the cheek. "You, Mrs. Cullen," he replied, "you."

Jasper heard footsteps and felt Alice's soothing presence nearby. Putting down the book he had been reading, he rushed to the door. "Alice!" he exclaimed as he flung open the door.

"Well, somebody's happy to see me," Alice said as she fell into Jasper's warm embrace. "Your happiness was affecting me all the way down the hall."

"Can I help it that I love you so much?" Jasper said, beaming at Alice. Alice returned his smile. Jasper's talent was feeling the emotions of others and being able to influence others' feelings. Carlisle always said that was why they made such a great match. Alice knew that wasn't it though. They were perfect because of Jasper's ability to understand her. He truly was special to her.

"So, would you care to show me what you bought?" Jasper said smiling. Alice squealed and ran into her closet with the bags. A minute later she was back out in a bright sunflower yellow sundress. She wore a pair of white heels and her hair had a white headband in it.

"Oh, now don't you look ravishing," Jasper said, pulling Alice to him. He leaned down and his lips met hers.

"Well, I see Alice has begun the fashion show," a voice said behind the couple. They separated and turned to see Edward leaning against the doorframe.

"Edward," Jasper said, smiling at his brother. "So you survived the shopping trip?"

"Barely," Edward answered, heading over to sit down on Jasper and Alice's bed. "Though if Alice had said anything more to that poor salesgirl, I think she might have had a heart attack." Jasper looked at his wife, confused.

"Oh, Edward," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "I saw her. It wouldn't have been that bad."

"Yes, but my darling Alice, you did not hear what she was thinking," Edward countered. "Actually, the salesgirl – her name was Sarah, I think – was contemplating the idea that we had robbed a bank. Imagine that! Innocent little Alice, a bank robber…"

Alice growled playfully at her brother. "It was nothing, honey," she said to Jasper, as she turned around, heading back to the closet. "I'll be back out in a minute. And," she flashed a smile in Edward's direction, "you had better be out of my room." Sticking out her tongue at Edward, she disappeared into the closet.

The next morning, Carlisle sat in his new office, organizing his desk. Unpacking the boxes that he had brought with him, he found a small wooden cross. Holding it to his heart – which was now a useless, dead organ – he remembered the days before he had become a vampire. The days when his father had loved him…

A sharp rap on the door brought his attention to the present. _I mustn't get too caught up in the past now,_ he thought as he answered, "Come in!"

The door opened and Alice came bounding in. "Hi!"

Carlisle chuckled. "Hello Alice," he replied. "What was it you wanted?"

"It's time to go to school. And Esme said to tell you to go to work," Alice said with a twinkle in her eye. "So bye, I'll see you later."

"Goodbye, darling," was Carlisle's response.

Rosalie fixed a frown upon her face as she got in the Jeep. Emmett looked over at her curiously. "What?" she asked in a cold tone that made Emmett start to laugh.

"Well, Miss Ice Queen, may I enquire how long you are going to act that way?" Emmett said, his eyes twinkling.

"As long as it takes," Rosalie began, her voice unfaltering, "to discourage those fools."

"And what fools might that be?" Emmett questioned. Rosalie merely snorted in reply. Emmett grinned at her and leaned over to kiss her on the nose. "Don't worry, Rose. If anyone tries to ask you out, they'll have to go through me first."

Rosalie, breaking her moment of iciness, grinned. "I know you will, darling," she said to Emmett. "I know you will."

Emmett was the first of the Cullens to sit down at the lunch table. It had been a long day, so far, and from the looks of the girls coming in his direction, it looked like it was about to get longer. As the first girl sat down, he sighed. "Hi!" the girl said too cheerfully. "I'm Jessica!"

"Hello," Emmett said before he went back to playing with his food. He did not enjoy ignoring the girls and not talking to them. It wasn't his usual jovial manner. But Rosalie would kill him if he as much laid eyes on one of them. And, at that precise moment, Rosalie decided to make her entrance. She looked around and saw where Emmett was sitting. Where the girls were sitting. Her eyes narrowed as she charged across the cafeteria.

What Rosalie didn't notice but Emmett did was the gasps coming from the more popular table. He turned his eyes, now cold and hard, on the guys there. Though Emmett knew that guys would still look, Rosalie was his, and no one else's. At the back of his throat, he felt a growl forming.

But what Rosalie did right then distracted him. "Hello," she said, her voice icy. "Excuse me; I think that's my boyfriend you're talking to. So scram." The girls, scared of the consequences of staying, darted away from the table.

"Wow, Rose," Emmett said, calming down. "I didn't think you had it in you."

Then, in her most seductive voice, Rosalie spoke. "You thought wrong."

"Oh, Rose," Emmett said, sighing. "Did you think that any of those girls actually held a candle to the radiant beauty that I am staring at right now? Don't you know by now that you are the only woman I could ever love?"

Rosalie didn't answer, but Emmett knew he had won. "Where's the rest of our family?" Emmett said, glancing towards the door.

As if by magic, when he spoke those words, Alice, Jasper, and Edward appeared at the door. They walked over to the table where their brother and sister were and sat down.

Alice spoke first. "So, everyone, how's your day going so far?" As no one answered, Alice looked around. "Well, all right. Let's see… Emmett, the girls won't bug you anymore; Rose, everyone will be admiring your beauty for the next few months; Edward… err, the girls are going to continue bothering you; and Jasper, I love you." Three simultaneous groans came from her family members as Jasper kissed her hair gently. "What?" she said. "I do."

By the end of the day, all of the Cullens were exhausted. They pulled out of the parking lot, talking little if at all. Edward noticed Alice tense up beside him. "Alice," he said in soft tones. "What is it?"

"Another vampire," Alice said. "She is going to come to our house tonight. I'm not sure if she is 'vegetarian' or not. But there was something else, something that she seemed to fear…" Alice stared off into space as she trailed off.

Edward, knowing Alice well, took this as a sign that she wanted to be left alone and looked out the window. Alice did not move until they were back at the Cullen house.


	2. Confrontation

While most normal teenagers would rather be sitting inside on the computer on a night like this, Alexa chose to spend hers up a tree in the middle of a rainstorm that was soaking her so thoroughly she was shivering. The forest around her was quiet besides the sound of her teeth chattering. Below her on the ground were her two cousins, Brett and Chane. Both of them were wearing the same black outfits as Alexa, which were made of thick layers of tight fabric and consisted of a pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt. Fighting other werepyres was hard enough without having to worry about whether or not your clothes would be in one piece when you returned to your normal form. Thus, the heavy duty spandex: one of the few materials that was able to be included in a morph to avoid issues later. That didn't make it any less uncomfortable to wear, though.

Alexa was anxious for their mission to be over. They were supposed to be on the lookout for a rogue werepyre who had started hunting humans, vampires, and werewolves alike. If the killings continued, then the werewolves might decide to take matters into their own hands. No werepyre wanted to anger the werewolves who had given them their territory.

The biggest problem was not the werepyre, but the new vampire family in the vicinity. No one had made contact with them yet, and where their loyalties were, as of yet, remained unknown. It had already been decided that the vampires could stay if they were vegetarians. Otherwise, they would be 'escorted' out of the area.

Alexa caught a whiff of something like a werepyre nearby. She quickly climbed down the tree, which was painful without shoes (shoes morph disaster). Brett had tensed up, apparently having caught the scent as well. The older boy had black hair and golden eyes, just like his younger brother, Chane. Technically, Brett should have been leading the mission, but Alexa outranked him in status, so the honor was hers. Such was the benefit, and curse, of having a dad who was pack leader.

Chane stood up from his seat on the ground and looked in the direction of the scent. Chane was about Alexa's height and had freckles all over his face. Chane, unlike Brett and Alexa, used a gargoyle morph instead of a wolf morph. There were fewer gargoyles than wolves in their pack, but gargoyle morphs were useful. Brought about by having more vampire than werewolf genes in you, gargoyle-morphing juveniles gained the ability to fly in their morph, as well as having opposable thumbs, rock hard skin, and enough strength to lift a van 10 feet off the ground while flying.

Someone was being chased; Alexa could here the noise now. Chane frowned and opened a communication channel to Alexa and Brett. When do we move? 

Alexa thought for a minute. Mental communication was a gift from the werewolf side of their bloodline; the ability to shut it off was a blessing from their vampire ancestors. Wait until we see what he's chasing. Mind you, we're only waiting until then before we morph, no longer. 

Well, that would be about now, then. Brett commented. Alexa squinted. Sure enough, she could just make out a vampire running from a fully grown werepyre through the trees.

I thought he was still a juvenile! Chane protested. We can't take down a mature werepyre who's on the hunt by ourselves. 

Werepyres in their mature form looked like a cross between the gargoyle and the wolf juvenile forms. They were also near immortal unless killed by another mature werepyre. Alexa frowned. We have no choice. We'll just chase him off as far as we can, okay? He can't be too strong yet, so we'll have a decent shot at doing at least that much. 

Brett nodded. Let's get this loser out of our territory for good. 

All three of them instigated their morphs. Werepyres take longer to change forms than werewolves do, because it takes a bit for their senses to adjust. Brett finished first. His wolf form was almost as large as any werewolf, and just as fast. Alexa and Chane finished at about the same time. Chane unfurled his huge leathery wings and flew up out of the trees to follow in the air. Alexa and Brett leapt off to give chase to their prey.

Alexa's wolf form was smaller than Brett's, but she was faster and more agile. Unfortunately, her quarry and his target were still faster, breaking out into a large clearing before Alexa could. Chane intercepted the werepyre before he could attack the vampire, and Alexa went in, tooth and claw, after him. Brett was close behind, crashing into the rogue vampire from behind. Alexa. Brett called to her. Vampires are coming out of the house. I think we're about to see whether they're friendly or not. 

Alexa looked over to see it was true. Seven vampires had come out of the house and were now talking with the one who had been chased. Great… maybe this wasn't such a good idea. 

You think? Chane interjected. He was almost knocked out of the air.

Just don't get hit by his teeth. I don't want any of us getting poisoned. Alexa retorted.

Isn't that kinda obvious? Brett commented, leaping at the werepyre's back. He missed and was almost hit by a flailing arm as he landed on the ground.

Alexa, frustrated by the two boy's remarks, made a rash decision and bit down hard on the werepyre's leg. The huge wolfish beast roared in pain and thrashed around, trying to get Alexa off. He sent her flying into the side of the house, where she slid to the ground and laid still.

Brett and Chane, enraged by their teammate's injuries, heightened their attacks, chasing the rogue werepyre off through the woods. Alexa tried to ignore the pain in her side and get up, but she was unable to move out of the bushes she had landed in. Adrenaline caused her to panic. Her senses were on hyper-alert as she searched frantically for a safe way out. She could hear the vampires talking, but they were speaking too quickly for her to hear. However, five of them went inside while the other three came over towards Alexa. Her mind raced with escape plans. _I just need to get free. Then, it'd be a clear shot to the woods. Shoot, but how do I get up before they get me?_

"If you'd stop thrashing and formulating needless escape plans, we'd help you," the younger male vampire said.

Alexa froze and eyed the vampire cautiously. _How did he know what I was thinking?_

"I have the ability to tell what someone is thinking at any given moment, if you must know."

_Names; what are your names? _Alexa immediately asked. _And are you vegetarian?_

"I am Edward Cullen. This is Carlisle, and this is Alice. Yes, we are vegetarians. Now, if you'd please return the favor…"

_Of course. I'm Alexa, and I am a vegetarian werepyre. We all are, _Alexa replied, relaxing a bit. _Well, except that one we attacked. He was turning into an outsider._

Edward relayed this information to the others, who seemed relieved. The one named Carlisle knelt next to Alexa. "You seem to be injured. Please, as thanks for helping us, let me take a look at you. I'm a doctor, and you could very well have a broken rib or two from that crash."

_Do you not have the ability to read minds as well?_

Edward laughed, "No, just me."

_Ah. Then could you tell him I am going to have to contact my other pack members before I can accept?_

_"_How would you do that?"

_Mental connection. They'll hear me. _

Edward nodded and repeated the message to the other two. Meanwhile, Alexa called out to her cousins. Nice of you two to leave me. 

Brett replied first. Alexa? I would have thought you'd be unconscious after such a blow. 

I should be, but I'm not. Look, the vampires seem to be nice enough. They are vegetarian too, so I guess they'll be staying. One of them is a doctor, though, and he thinks I broke some ribs. Mind if I hang here until you come back? 

Brett seemed suspicious. Okay, but we're coming back immediately. I don't want you alone with those vampires any longer than you have to be. 

Go get the Jeep, then, and find the road to the house, Alexa replied.

Got it. Brett broke the connection.

Alexa looked up at Edward. _You catch that?_

Edward shook his head. "It just sounded like buzzing. What did they say?"

_They are going to fetch the Jeep and bring it to this house_, Alexa informed him. _Meanwhile, I get to hang here._

Again, Edward acted as translator to the others. Carlisle nodded, "Very well then. I get someone to go make sure your friends find the road."

_Thanks. Just a minute; I'll make it easier for us to talk. _Alexa focused on her human form, willing herself to change. Moments later, she was back to normal, but still stuck in the bushes. Her voice raspy from the change, Alexa said, "Yeah, I think you were right about those broken ribs."

Carlisle laughed. "Let's get you into the house."


	3. Truths

Ann sat on the couch quietly. Though the other vampires were talking around her, she did not speak. The Cullen family thought it was because she was traumatized; but Ann was silent for a different reason. Different thoughts were streaming through her head all at once. _Family, happy, death, burn, pain, sadness, beauty, love… _The list of her thoughts was endless. And all because of this one coven of vampires, not unlike herself. After all, they were vegetarian, like herself. So why was there still this underlying instinct not to trust them? They were kind to her. _Six months,_ Ann thought to herself. _Half a year._

As Ann was thinking this, the vampire called Carlisle came through the door. His son Edward was to the side of the figure in between them. As Ann looked closer, she smelled what it was. Recoiling back in horror, she emitted a low growl. She knew not what the beast was called, but it was the same kind as that which had been chasing her. Ann observed the creature carefully, and saw that it was leaning up against the vampires. _She is hurt, _Ann thought. But to her dismay, this thought led to others. _Pain, help, fire, death, sadness, blood… _Her thoughts trailed off as Edward looked up into her eyes. He looked confused as he looked at her, and she didn't know why. Did she know him? No, she would have recognized him.

She shrank away from his stare, and Edward, noticing her discomfort, looked away. Ann soon found, however, the werepyre was staring at her. She looked away and found herself looking at the girl named Alice. She had short black hair and was rather fairy-like. Alice looked up and smiled at Ann. Ann was still for a moment, then smiled back. When she did, she realized she had not smiled in a very long time. It felt good to be able to.

Edward was now speaking the vampire called Esme in hushed tones for a vampire's ear even. Esme nodded to what he said and stood up. Coming over to Ann, she spoke. "Ann, would you care to stay with us for a while? We have a room upstairs for you and it would be so nice to have company…" she trailed off, waiting for Ann's answer.

Ann considered the offer. _I have nowhere else to go, but why should I be a burden on this family?_ She thought to herself. She pondered it for a little longer before giving in. "I would be honored to stay with you," Ann said to Esme and stood to follow her upstairs.

Alexa wasn't sure which to be more amused by: the fact that a coven of _vampires_ would own enough kitchen supplies that they could open their own shop, or that Carlisle had already gone through two and a half pads of paper trying to figure out the perfect way to write a letter to Wolfwing, the leader of the vegetarian werepyres in this region. Either way, Alexa knew that it was best not to laugh; not only would that be rude, but it would also cause her ribs to hurt more.

One of the vampires, the only male that Alexa hadn't been introduced to yet, came into the kitchen quietly. He put a finger up to his mouth, signaling to Alexa that she should remain silent. Alexa watched amusedly as the vampire snuck up behind Carlisle and began reading aloud. "'To Wolfwing, esteemed leader of the werepyres…' Yeesh, Carlisle, what are you trying to do? Bore them to death?"

Carlisle whipped around, chucking the notepad at the vampire's head. "Obviously, Emmett, you fail to realize the diplomatic nature of this letter and how carefully worded it has to be."

Alexa couldn't help but burst out laughing. As she tried to stop, for the sake of her aching sides, she commented, "I wouldn't worry about it too much, sir. My dad's just going to be glad me and my pack mates didn't get ourselves killed."

"Wait…" Even with the enhanced mental speed that being a vampire granted, Alexa's comment took a minute to fully register with Carlisle. "You mean Wolfwing is your _dad_?"

Alexa nodded sheepishly, fully aware that Carlisle and Emmett were staring at her. After a moment of silence, Emmett almost fell over laughing. "That… is… so… FUNNY!" Emmett rushed out of the room, calling out to the others. "Hey guys! Listen to this!"

Alexa rolled her eyes. Within a matter of moments, everyone in the house would know of Emmett's news. Carlisle was watching her with a mixed look of surprise, apology, and amusement. Carefully, Alexa slid down off the counter, wincing when her feet hit the floor and jarred her injured ribs. Instantly, Carlisle was at her side, ready to help her. Alexa put up a hand to signify that she didn't need help. Carlisle took a step back, watching as Alexa carefully made her way over to the area of the counter that was now littered with letter drafts. Scrounging up a clean piece of paper, Alexa grinned at Carlisle. "You dictate; I'll edit."

Ann sat upstairs on her bed, thinking about what to do. She knew before long she should probably leave, but the question was when? She was so deep in thought that she almost did not here the knock on her door. "Come in," she said, and the door opened to reveal Edward.

"Hi," he said as he stood in the door frame. "Can I talk to you for a little while?"

Ann moved over indicating for him to sit down. He did and they sat in silence for a moment as Ann thought. _What does he want? Why worry about me? That girl downstairs has been injured more than me. Why isn't he with her?_

"To answer your questions, I'm here because I want to know more about you. I'm worried about you because you seem to be holding in a lot of pain. I'm not with the girl werepyre downstairs because Carlisle doesn't need me right now," Edward said, looking at Ann. Ann looked back at him in shock. "Don't worry about it," Edward continued. "It's my special vampire talent to read minds."

Ann glared at him angrily. "My thoughts are my own," she said coolly and looked away from him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good at controlling what I hear when I'm not used to the voice. It's harder to block out vampire's voices anyways. But anyways, earlier, you went down a very odd train of thought…" Edward began before Ann cut him off.

"I thought I told you – my thoughts are my own!!! So leave me alone!"

Fifteen minutes later, Carlisle and Alexa had not only negotiated and debated the exact wording of the letter, but Carlisle had copied it onto a piece of nice, yet not too fancy, stationary (as Alexa had instructed). They stood there for a moment admiring their handiwork before Carlisle carefully folded it up and put it into an envelope.

A knock came from the patio door, which led from the kitchen to the backyard. Alexa and Carlisle simultaneously looked up to see Jasper standing there with a suspicious, yet complacent Brett.

Carlisle walked over to the sliding door and opened it, purposefully walking at a speed only slightly faster than a human. Jasper stepped inside, nodding at Carlisle as if in answer to some unspoken question. Brett immediately rushed over to Alexa. "You okay?"

"Perfectly fine, minus the ribs," Alexa replied, noticing the anxiousness in Brett's voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jasper leaving the room. "Where's Chane?"

"In the Jeep. The engine's running," Brett hinted.

"Hope he's got the radio on so he won't be bored," Alexa countered, dismissing Brett's want to get out of there so quickly. She motioned at Carlisle. "Brett, this is Carlisle Cullens. Carlisle, this is my cousin, Brett. He's my second-in-command."

"Pleased to meet you," Carlisle replied, holding out his hand so he could shake Brett's.

Brett looked suspicious for a moment, then shook Carlisle's hand briefly. "I'm glad to see that your family is settling in well," He said.

"More like 'Glad to see you're vegetarians', I think." Edward said as he entered the room.

Brett locked eyes with Edward, as Alexa hurried to make introductions. "Brett, this is Edward. He has the ability to read people's thoughts."

"Well he should stay out of mine…" Brett muttered.

"I'm getting that a lot today." Edward commented, his face unreadable. When he turned his gaze to Alexa, he asked, "How about you? You're the only new face today who hasn't put forth an opinion on the matter."

Alexa chuckled. "You've got the power; you might as well use it. I trust you."

Edward's gaze softened a bit. "Thanks. I promise I won't abuse your trust."

A horn sounded from outside the house. Alexa rolled her eyes. "Chane can be so impatient. Come on, Brett. We'd better get going." She grabbed a scrap of paper off the table as well as the pen. Scribbling down some words and numbers quickly, she handed the page to Carlisle. "These are some phone numbers you might find useful, as well as my email. Feel free to contact me or any of my pack if you need help, especially if it involves more rouge werepyres."


End file.
